Homework allows students to develop as independent learners, building lifelong learning skills such as self-discipline, meeting deadlines, responsibility and problem solving.

Homework can help students to make more rapid progress in learning.

Homework allows valuable practice of skills learned in the classroom and reinforces this learning.

Homework allows students to realise that learning can take place in a variety of settings and encourages students to use materials and other sources of information that are not always available in the classroom.

Homework encourages a partnership between parents, students and the school.

Homework can give opportunities for long term research and other work.

How does the school help students to organise their homework?

Each student is given a ‘planner’ at the beginning of the school year.

Student’s must take their planner to all lessons and are given sufficient time by their class teachers to record the homework set and when it is due in.

Students are never set homework for completion on the following day.

Teachers try to make sure that instructions concerning homework are clear to everyone in the class.

How can parents / carers help with homework?

Check that homework details are filled in clearly and regularly in the planner.

Sign your child’s planner once a week to show you are monitoring it.

Encourage regular study time at home and try to ensure there are suitable conditions for learning.

Help your child organise his or her time to their best advantage so that things are not all left to the last minute or even forgotten.

When homework is not set (e.g. if a teacher or student is absent) encourage your child to revise the work they have previously done in a subject.

Take a positive, active interest in your child's homework rather than just insisting that it is done.

Let us know if there are problems with homework that you cannot resolve. Perhaps your child seems to be doing too much, or not enough, or is finding it too easy or too difficult. Contact the class teacher in the first instance, who will be glad to help.

How much Homework should my child be doing?

Time spent on homework should gradually increase as a student progresses through the school. A student in year 7 should undertake between 4 and 6 hours of homework each week increasing to between 6 and 10 hours each week in year 11.

The nature of Homework

Homework should be viewed as “home-learning” and will take many forms. Often the work set will not be a written task. Other tasks if completed properly can have a greater benefit in aiding the learning process; developing skills, understanding and knowledge. Homework will often focus on the key tasks of revision, research, preparation and practice.

Students will be given a variety of homework tasks - not all will involve pen and paper! Tasks may include: